Tag-seal.



L. HARRIS.

TAG SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22|19H- 1,237,034, Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

A TTRNEYS Louis mais, or NEW Yonx, n.1.

TAG-SEAL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application led May 22, 1917. Serial No. 170,173,

T o all 'whom 'it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, Louis HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county ofthe Bronx and State of New York, have invented a new and Im-` proved Ta g-Seal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to seals of that type which cannot be opened except by breaking an integral part thereof.

The invention has for its general objects to provide a combined seal and tag especially adapted for cloaks, garments and other articles which are usually tagged so that the merchant can protect himself against impositions by a customer buying an article and attempting to return or exchange it after it has been worn, and the seal tag has the further advantage that the tags cannot be intentionally or accidentally changed by the store help. The tag is intended to be placed on a garment or article by an authorized person and the tag cannot bc detached except by breaking the seal, and this is to be done by the customer after a purchase, and on the tag will be a notice that the article cannot be exchanged or credited if the tag is detached.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a vperspective view ofthe combined tag and seal before it is applied, with a portion in section; and

Fig. 2 is a view showing the device applied. I

Referring to the drawing, A designates the tag and B the seal which serves as means for attaching the tag to the garment or other article to be tagged. The tag A is of ordinarv form and has printed thereon a notice which warns the purchaser that the goods are purchased on the condition that if the tag is removed the goods cannot be exchanged or credit given therefor.

The seal B is a wire which is passed through the eye 1 of the tag, one end of the wire being formed with an arrow-shaped head or barbs 2, and the other end of the wire is bent into a helical coil 3 of such diameter that the barbed end of the wire can be thrust axially of the coil to enter the same, and after being entered the barbs and coil are automatically locked by the barb or barbs engaging between the convolutions of the coil. The wire has a converging portion 4 at which it can be readily broken so as to remove both the tag and seal from the article. If desired, the seal, which is of loop form, may have a portion of the wire flattened as at 5, so as to bear the name of the merchant.

The seals are of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction, easily applied, and also easily removed, and a tag applied in this manner alfords substantial protection to merchants against the common evil of buying goods with the intention of exchanging or returning them, after having been worn, and also against clerks intentionally or accidentally improperly tagging articles. Obviously the seal may be used for other purposes than that mentioned.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art ,to hich vthe invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the article which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the article shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A seal of the class described comprising a wire having one end formed into a helical coil and the other end of the wire being formed into a barbed head of such size as to enter the free end of the helical coil and to interlock with any of the convolutions thereof, whereby the ends of the wire can be undetachably connected, a certain portion of the wire being weakened to permit of ready severance.

LOUIS HARRIS. 

